Electrically-operated lock.



H. s. BALLIBT.

ELEGTRIUALLY OPERATED LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.18, 1909.

960,776. Patented Juhe 7, 1910.

2/ FIGJ. m l /2 R 25 ITNESSES: MWETOR:

UNITED STATES PA EN BEIGE.

IIIEERIBEIR/J. S. BALLIET, OF NEW YQRK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 'I O GENERgL BAILWAY SIG-HAL COMPANY, OF GATES, NEW YORK,

A: conroneriou or NEW roan.

'ELEGTRICALLY-OPERATED LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June a, 1910.

Application filed October 18, 1909. Serial No. 523,343.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. BAIlLIET, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Operated Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrically operated looks, more especially to a lock to be used for controlling levers which are used to pperate railway switches, signals and the The object of the inventionis to produce a lock which is compact in construction and one that can be operated on a normally open circuit, so that the energy required will be reduced to a minimum.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the device with the lever and lock in their normal positions; and Fig. 2 is a similar view,'with the lever in a reverse position, and the lock in its operated position.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a lever adapted for operating either a railway signal or a railway switch.

The levep 1 is represented as of the slidingtype commonly used in or nnection with allelectric interlocking machlnes. It is mounted upon suitable guides and provided with a handle 2 andv a latch 10. The operating contacts controlled by the lever are not shown in the drawing, as they are not necessary in order to comprehend the invention.

On the supports of the lever is mounted a frame 3. This frame carries an electromagnet which in this case is shown as a solenoid 11. The armature or plunger 13 of the solenoid has a rectangular end, which is adapted to enter notches 14 and 15 in the upper surface of the lever bar, in such a manner as to lock the lever against motion in either direction. The frame 3 is formed to provide a casing that is open at the top and is to be closed bya cover 19. Attached to this cover are binding posts 6 and 4. To the lower end of-the binding post 6 is attached a flat spring 5, which carries a contact 20, so placed in relation to binding post 4 that when the spring is raised an electrical connection will be made between the binding post 4 and the binding post 6. Sliding in a vertical recess in the casing is a plug 7 which extends below or outside of the casing,

an annular groove engaged by the end of the spring 5 but insulated therefrom. The arm 8 has in it two notches 17 and 18, which are adapted to fit over the fixed bar 16 in such a manner that when the lever is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lever cannot be moved until the latch 10 is operated. In like manner, when the lever is in the position shown in Fig. 2, it cannot be moved until the latch 10'is raised. A'spring 8? is provided whichholds the latch in its locking position.

The arrangement of the latch 10 and the insulating plug 7 is such that when the latch is in its normal position the spring 5 does not make contact with the binding post 4, but when the latch is raised so that it may unlock the lever, the spring 5 is brought into contact with said binding post 4:.

In operation the circuits of these locks are controlled from some point exterior to the interlockingmachine. They may be controlled by a lever in another tower, or they may be controlled by a relay operated by a section of track circuit. In Fig. 1 the relay R is represented as such .a relay, and the battery 12 is provided for supplying energy to the lock.

The circuit which operates the lock can be easily traced as follows :-starting from the battery 12, through the wire 21, then through the point of the relay R, w1re 22, to the binding post 4, and through the contact spring 5, binding post 6, and wire 26 to the coils of the magnet, then through wire 23 and binding post 24 (binding post 24 v is placed on the insulating block 19 for convenience in attaching wires), and w1re 25, back to battery. This circuit is open at the contact 20. When, however, the latch 10 is raised in order to free the lever, this contact is made and the circuit is completed, providing, of course, that the other controlling contact in the circuit is completed at this time. It will be noted that the frame 3 not only supports the magnet of the look, but that it also supportst-his normally open contact in such a way that it is entirely inclosed, so that it cannot be tampered with, or affected by the accumulation of dust, etc. It will also be noted that the lock magnet is on open circuit, except at the times and only at the times when it is required to move the lever.

What I claim is 1'. The combination of a lever carrying a latch, an electrically operated lock for locking said lever, electric energizing means, including a circuit, for operating the same,-

and a normally open contact in said circuit,-.

operated by the latch.

2. In combination with a lever, a bolt normally ada ted to lock said lever from movement, a circuit including magnetic means adapted when energized to move said bolt to unlock said lever, a latch for said lever, and a circuit controllerin said circuit adapted to be operated by said latch.

3. The combination, with a manually-operable lever, of a normally operative mechanical lock for locking the lever, a normally operative electric lock for locking the lever, a normally denergized magnet for releasing the electric look, a normally open circuit closer adapted to control said magnet, and means manually operable simultaneously with said lever and connected with the mechanical lock and the circuit breaker for releasing both of said locks simultaneously to release the lever.

HERBERT S. BALLIET.

Witnesses:

BERNARD F. GRAY, JOHN C. GAVISTON, Jr. 

